Chemin à la Mer — Restaurant in New Orleans

Title: A Challenging Dining Experience at Chemin À La Mer Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

My recent visit to Chemin À La Mer, located within the Four Seasons Hotel at 2 Canal Street, was far from the exceptional dining experience I had anticipated. Here's a breakdown of my disappointing experience:

Six-Hour Wait: The evening began with an astonishing six-hour wait for our table, which set a negative tone for the entire experience. Such a lengthy delay is unacceptable, even for a busy establishment.

Eating in the Dark: Upon finally being seated, the dim lighting made it nearly impossible to read the menu or see the food on our plates. Dining in the dark might be trendy for some, but it made our experience uncomfortable and impractical.

No Visible Chef: At a high-end restaurant like this, one might expect to witness the culinary artistry in action. Unfortunately, there was no visible chef or open kitchen, which left us disconnected from the food preparation process.

Cold Food: Our excitement quickly waned when our meals arrived lukewarm. The cold food not only affected the taste but also left us wondering about the kitchen's attention to detail.

Overcharge: To add insult to injury, our bill was significantly higher than anticipated. The prices seemed inflated for the quality of the dining experience we received.

Non-Selective Music Genre: The restaurant's choice of music lacked cohesion and seemed random. This inconsistency in music selection diminished the overall ambiance.

Poor Service: The service throughout the evening was lackluster. Our server seemed overwhelmed and inattentive, which further contributed to our dissatisfaction.

Not an Intimate Experience: Despite being part of the Four Seasons Hotel, Chemin À La Mer failed to provide the intimate and upscale atmosphere expected from such a renowned establishment.

$30 Free Parking: The only silver lining in this experience was the complimentary $30 parking voucher provided due to the overwhelming wait time. While appreciated, it did little to compensate for the overall disappointment.

Multiple Attempts to Speak to Manager: Despite our efforts to communicate our concerns to the manager, there were no noticeable improvements during our visit.

In conclusion, my dining experience at Chemin À La Mer in the Four Seasons Hotel was marred by extended wait times, inadequate service, poor ambiance, and cold food. It is my hope that these issues are addressed promptly, as they are far from the standard one would expect from a restaurant of...

This was a New Year's debacle in both experience and food. I made the reservation several months in advance. When asking how much the price fix menu would be I was told " around $150". That's pretty standard for the high end restaurants like August, Commanders, etc, excluding tip, taxes and alcohol. Upon confirming the day before I was told the meal was $225 without tip, taxes and alcohol! No where on the menu was the price stated. It was too late to secure a reservation anywhere else, so to avoid a $79/person penalty we honored the reservation. The venue is beautiful, which is one of the reasons I chose it. Also, we took the last seating at 9 pm to be able to see the fireworks on the river. Food came out almost immediately. The small starters were good, as was the lobster bisque. Then came out what was described as a "boudin blanc guinea hen". We all assumed this was a part of a hen, but what arrived on the plate were two sausages which were stuffed with the guinea hen. Then came a short rib dish that was typically fatty short rib. The last was the dessert which was the best part of the meal. Kudos to the pastry chef. The final bill....$300/person with no alcohol! We were efficiently served so that there was too much time left to sit and wait for the fireworks. I will say the wait staff were exemplary. For this price, the food was subpar and not in the league of the other high end restaurants I have spent New Year's Eve at. Very disappointing since this could have been the best venue in the city for a special evening to ring in...

We visited Chemin à la Mer for dinner while in New Orleans celebrating my husband’s birthday. We were looking for a nice steakhouse and chose this restaurant over Chophouse or Ruth’s Chris, since we have those near home. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointing choice.

Our server was very sweet, and that’s the main reason for the three stars. However, I’m pretty sure the $25 reservation fee was never applied to our bill, which was frustrating.

We ordered drinks, which were fine, but when the steaks arrived, things went downhill. Two people in our group ordered the New York Strip — at $110 each, we expected high quality. I’m usually a strip steak girl, but this one was a miss. While the temperature was correct, the steak itself was poorly cooked. The fat wasn’t rendered properly, leaving it chewy and tough. The meat itself felt low quality, especially for the price.

We also noticed the manager watching us throughout the meal. Our group was dressed nicely, but the men didn’t have jackets — we were on a relaxed, fun vacation, and formal attire wasn’t something we packed. It felt like we didn’t quite “fit” the vibe they expected.

I did mention the steak issue to the manager. He kindly comped a round of drinks, which we appreciated, though that wasn’t our main concern. The cheesecake they brought out for my husband’s birthday was delicious — probably the best part of the night.

Overall, the restaurant itself is beautiful, and we had hoped this would be a spot to bring our daughter for her 21st birthday in a few years. Sadly, it missed the...